--- description: Watch a compilation of robot slip-ups at the DARPA Robotics Challenge. title: Watch the World's Most Nimble Robots Suffer Spectacular Faceplants image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0d31c0799e325fc6/698853652dce0164a79e40fa/gettyimages-4761777121.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Watch the World's Most Nimble Robots Suffer 15 Spectacular Faceplants  by [Dan Kedmey](/author/dan-kedmey/)  ## Dan Kedmey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 8, 2015 4:38 PM CUT  Fans pose for photographs with Team Kaist's DRC-HUBO robot after its successful run during the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge at the Fairplex June 6, 2015 in Pomona, California. Fans pose for photographs with Team Kaist's DRC-HUBO robot after its successful run during the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge at the Fairplex June 6, 2015 in Pomona, California.Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images  by [Dan Kedmey](/author/dan-kedmey/)  ## Dan Kedmey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 8, 2015 4:38 PM CUT The Defense Department’s research agency [awarded](http://time.com/3911829/darpa-robotics-south-korea/ "undefined") $2 million to the world’s most nimble robot on Sunday — but bear in mind that a “nimble” robot is still a bit reminiscent of a “nimble” toddler. A compilation of slip-ups at the DARPA Robotics Challenge shows that despite the incredible progress robots have made accomplishing a variety of tasks, from opening doors to traversing rubble to turning valves, many are still struggling to stand on their own two feet (or four feet or wheels): Laugh while you can. DARPA sponsored a similar competition for driverless vehicles in 2004, and there was no shortage of cars making funny U-turns and veering off roads: In as little as a decade Google had [driven down](http://time.com/3911152/google-driverless-cars-crash/ "undefined") the error rate on driverless vehicles down to 13 minor accidents in six years, all of which it attributes to human error. They grow up so fast. ### These Robots Have Their Own World Cup  Humanoid robots are seen at the Institute for Computer Science at the University of Bonn in Bonn July 3, 2014. Ina Fassbender—Reuters  Research associates Larry Vadakedathu and Qin He work with one of their RoboCup entries, a 5-foot-tall metal humanoid named THOR (Tactical Hazardous Operations Robot), in the adult-size league at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia on July 7, 2014. Matt Rourke—AP  Robocup Junior teams in RoboCup Robot Soccer Championship on July 21, 2014. Lorena Travassos—Fotoarena/Corbis  Members of the Rhoban project's team check functions of a humanoid robot at the LaBRI workshop in Talence, France on July 7, 2014. Regis Devignau—Reuters  People work on the software of humanoid robots during a photo opportunity at the Institute for Computer Science at the University of Bonn in Bonn, Germany on July 3, 2014. Ina Fassbender—Reuters  Students at the University of Pennsylvania work with one of their RoboCup entries known as Nao in Philadelphia on July 7, 2014. Matt Rourke—AP  The first day of the RoboCup Robot Soccer Championship in João Pessoa, Brazil on July 21, 2014. Lorena Travassos—Fotoarena/Corbis  A participant from the Netherlands prepares his humanoid robot for a soccer match in the international robotics competition in Tehran, Iran on April 10, 2014. Vahid Salemi—AP  Humanoid robots play during a soccer match while visitors follow the competition in the international robotics competition, RoboCup Iran Open 2014, in Tehran, Iran on April 10, 2014. Vahid Salemi—AP  Trophies won by humanoid robots at competitions are seen during a photo opportunity at the Institute for Computer Science at the University of Bonn in Bonn, Germany on July 3, 2014. Ina Fassbender—Reuters _Read next:_ [_The Iron Man Challenge_](http://time.com/3899465/iron-man/?iid=time%5Freadnext "undefined") [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/autoplay/?xid=spl-fullbrief-article "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3912546/darpa-robotics-challenge-fails/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3912546/darpa-robotics-challenge-fails/"},"headline":"Watch the World's Most Nimble Robots Suffer 15 Spectacular Faceplants","datePublished":"2015-06-08T16:38:25.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:44:44.380Z","description":"The last one is a doozy","url":"https://time.com/3912546/darpa-robotics-challenge-fails/","keywords":["Tech","Innovation","robots","pubdesk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0d31c0799e325fc6/698853652dce0164a79e40fa/gettyimages-4761777121.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Dan Kedmey","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/dan-kedmey/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0d31c0799e325fc6/698853652dce0164a79e40fa/gettyimages-4761777121.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"DARPA Robotics Challenge Showcases Cutting Edge In Artificial Intelligence","caption":"DARPA Robotics Challenge Showcases Cutting Edge In Artificial Intelligence","creditText":"Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3912546/darpa-robotics-challenge-fails/","name":"Watch the World's Most Nimble Robots Suffer 15 Spectacular Faceplants"}}]}] ```